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DISCUSSION: The Rise of Skywalker D23 trailer


So it's been a few weeks since the new "trailer" for The Rise of Skywalker at D23. While there is one moment in particular that took the internet by storm, there are a few other shots in the trailer that caught my eye.

It's still surreal to me that not only Carrie Fisher is not here to finish the saga she helped to start, but that there is still enough footage of her from Episode 7 and 8 for Episode 9 to use. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that they are going to use footage of her for Leia to be in the film, as J.J. Abrams said scenes were written around her footage. I just hope that Leia, and in a nutshell Carrie Fisher, get the sendoffs that they deserve.

We get a better look at one of the new characters in the film, Jannah, played by actress Naomi Ackie. I know this is a popular fan theory, but to me it makes sense...that she is the daughter of Lando. In addition to helping his old friends in the Rebellion, it would add another dynamic to him helping the Resistance if his daughter is involved. She can be her own character, but come on, most of the time, the people of the Star Wars universe is pretty close-knit with each other.

Well, um, here's something I never thought I would see. Actor Anthony Daniels said we would see a side of C-3PO that we've never seen before, so if he has a secret "killer droid" mode, or it's added, I would absolutely lose my mind...but still enjoy it. He could also be hacked by the First Order, so that's a possibility. I'm just shocked that I'm looking forward to a story line involving C-3PO for the first time since the original trilogy.

We see Resistance fighters and ships in the trailer, but that's nothing compared to the literal hundreds and hundreds of star destroyers that we see in what will probably be a gigantic space battle in the film. Notice one thing thought, they are regular Empire destroyers, not First Order ones.

We know that Palpatine is coming back in some way in the film, and in the old "Legends" continuity, he revived himself via clones, and constructed his own personal fleet to retake the galaxy. Could that be something they will implement in the new canon? It's possible, but I hope for the film's sake he isn't cloned, because, personally, I was never a fan of him coming back to life in Legends.

We also get a glimpse of the climatic final duel between Rey and Kylo in the film, on what appears to be the remains of one of the Death Stars. Daisy Ridley said the duel in the film is one of the most "epic" of the saga, and I'm willing to take her word on it. Needless to say, I can't wait to see a duel that can match the scale of the Darth Maul fight or Anakin vs. Obi-Wan.

Alright, here's the moment that people were shocked about...DARK SIDE REY!

OK, first off, her lightsaber is awesome and is cracked like Kylo's.

Alright, so I have several possibilities as to what this could mean for the film.

1) It's a dark-side vision or a temptation by Palpatine, like Luke's dark side vision in Empire Strikes Back.

2) She is possessed by the spirit of Palpatine.

3) She actually turns to the dark side, which, if that happens...oh boy.

4) This dark side Rey is a clone.

5) It's a nightmare had by one of the characters, such as Kylo.

Needless to say, I can't wait to see what happens with this reveal, which I'm surprised they put in a teaser trailer.

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